Seoul:A Seoul district court acquitted a lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) of anti-graft charges related to a luxury bag gifted to former first lady Kim Keon Hee.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Central District Court found Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon not guilty of violating the anti-graft law over the Roger Vivier clutch bag his wife gifted to the then first lady, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, in March 2023.
Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team had sought a one-year prison sentence for the lawmaker, alleging the couple gifted the bag, valued at 2.67 million won (US$2,000), in exchange for support in his bid to become the PPP's leader earlier that month. However, the court found no evidence of conspiracy between the couple, noting the possibility that the lawmaker's wife may have acted independently.
While Kim Gi-hyeon was acquitted, his wife was convicted and fined 5 million won. The special counsel had initially sought a six-month prison term for her. The court dismissed her defense that the clutch bag was a customary gift, affirming it breached the anti-graft law due to the former first lady's position.
The former first lady, already convicted in other corruption cases, acknowledged receiving the bag but claimed no recollection of accepting it personally.